BCS 715 Questions

[BenBurchfield]

After several years dreaming of getting a BCS tractor, I finally found one on a local sales site for a great price, $40 with the grey tiller. The individual that was selling the tractor had recently gotten it for cleaning out a barn. There was some rust on the handlebars and very minor rust on the gas tank and engine cover. In addition to the rust, the fuel filter looked quite old, the tires were dry rotted/cracked, the previous owner had wrapped some silicon impregnated cloth around where the engagement device enters the transmission/shaft, the air filter/breather was broken off above the clamp location, and the muffler - which had rusted off - appeared to be replaced with a short brass pipe just sitting in the remains of the exhaust pipe. Seemed like I could not go wrong with that price, but am quite lost when it comes to engines. The tractor has an 8HP ACME engine with a rope start (non retracting). I have not tested it yet, but the seller mentioned that the previous owner had used it last year.

I have begun cleaning up the rusted parts and painting them with rust inhibiting primer and Ford blue paint from TSC. I plan to replace some of the rusted screws and will replace the throttle and engagement cables.

From what I have read here and elsewhere online, it is possible to purchase parts for these old engines from EarthTools as well as replacement engines (Kohler Command Pro) and conversion kits. As I have said, I am quite lost when it comes to engines and am looking for guidance on whether I would be better served to rehaul the ACME (Turns freely, does not appear to be locked up) or repower it with another engine? If anyone has gone down either of these tracks, what type of costs would I be looking at? Thanks again for any advice or wisdom you might share.

 

[TomSeller]

I have never worked on an Acme engine so I can't speak to it or parts availability, but I tend to favor the engines with readily available parts. ie Honda, Briggs, Tecumseh, Kohler, Subaru. I am very leery of anything from China unless manufactured there to specifications of a reputable company.

 

[farmerboybill]

You aren't out much to try to get the Acme running first. Do you have a mechanically inclined friend? Call Earth tools to get the recommended spark plug type and replace yours. Turn it over a few times with the plug out and against the head to determine if you have spark (you can also try this with the old plug first) Drain crankcase oil and inspect the oil. Does it have a gasoline smell to it? Replace with fresh oil - I typically use 10w30. Drain the old gasoline from the fuel tank and replace with fresh gasoline with sea-foam in it. Turn the engine over a few times to see if it'll fire. If it won't, give it a tiny sniff of starting fluid or carb cleaner. If you can get it running without much work, use it. If you can't, you'll have to figure out whether or not it is worth the 600some dollars for a new engine.

To me, a 715 would have to be pretty nice to be worth an engine replacement. It's a great dedicated tiller, and can be used with stationary attachments, but gets a little limited when running front mounted attachments, specifically mowers.

 

[Trevj]

Just got one word for you as far as mechanic work goes.

Learn!

You are in this for a total of $40, yeah. How much entertainment can you buy for that these days?

If you go in with an open mind and an understanding that your worst case scenario is that you end up needing a replacement engine, then you are free to do about anything that seems reasonable to try to resurrect the one you have.

I have a 715 with a Kohler 8HP on it. Kinda annoying, because it is electric start only, I would like to put a pull start on it, but it's been a really handy rig to have around. I have a tiller and a 30 inch sickle bar mower, and use it for whacking down tall grass and small trees, in addition to the garden. Mine was given to me, based on that it "needed a new engine", which turned out to mean that it needed the carb mounts tightened up and the mung cleaned out of the carb, an afternoon's work, rather than a multi-hundreds of dollars repair bill at the small engine place.

I would spend time on the diesel first(your Acme is diesel yes? If no, then disregard the injector advice, eh), and all but eliminate it as a possibility, before I would look at a replacement engine too hard.
I would want to make sure the fuel system is as clean as possible, that there was a good, working filter in the fuel line to the injector pump, and that the injector pump and injector were working correctly, which would involve removing the injector from the engine, and connecting it to the line and checking that the injector made a decent spray pattern when the the engine is turned over. Be VERY aware that the injector is capable of injecting diesel in through your skin if you have a hand near it when it pops. That is about the worst of it. Keep yer mitts away from the injector while turning over the engine. Easy! So, that,compression, and valves working correctly, and it should run with some time into it.

We have several Chinese made clones of Honda engines around here. When looked at side by side with the actual Hondas, in the store, they compare better than you would expect, typically with a better surface finish and fewer rough edges and casting flash.
At the price of them, they are effectively disposable, unless you like to tinker with such things. Replacement cost of a ~6hp rated engine is about $20 more than the minimum service charge at the small engine place for them to even bother to look at anything. We have a couple dead Honda motors around here, and so far only one dead clone. For the price difference, I figure they are a good risk. YMMV, as may your bank account balance from mine. I'm about as cheap as it gets, and don't spend my money too freely on the expensive stuff unless I am convinced the value is there. In the case of the clone motors, I am pretty sure that they represent pretty good value. Buying from the likes of Princess Auto too (here in Canada) means that you pretty much can take it back any time, if you are not satisfied with it. Have not taken any back yet!

Worth checking around to see what the total cost will be to come up with a replacement engine and the adaptors to fit it, and work out from there whether you want to go that way or do a repair and restore on the one you have. For me, I would go for fixing the Acme first, at least, put enough time in to it to figure out the odds of ever having it work again. Likely it has fewer hours than it needs to be worn out, but ya never know.

Cheers
Trev

 

[duxback]

Hello Ben,

What a lucky guy to get this 715 for 40 bucks!! I have a 10 horse, 725 that I bought used in 1987 for $850. I thought that was a steal! I think it's a 1985 model. The Acme engine is generally bulletproof and will last a long time with standard care. Same rope start as yours. They take a little knowledge to start them on one pull. Before you do that, you might want to check for spark. Replace the plug if it looks needy. This engine has points located in a square box near the carburetor. If you have spark at the plug, ignore the points and condenser for now. If no spark, pull off the cover and pull a piece of cereal box cardboard through them to remove any residue. Likely if it ran last year, it'll fire up this year with no issues. It sounds like there is an added on inline fuel filter. The factory filter is a small screen located at the carb inlet. Remove the screw holding the inlet and clean the screen and replace. You might want to drain the fuel tank before you replace the inlet. Unscrew two screws that hold the float bowl. Dump any water and crud out and replace the bowl.

For easy starting, make sure it's out of gear and tiller is disengaged. Before wrapping the rope, turn the engine backward to put the engine on the exhaust stroke. You'll meet resistance when you've turned it far enough. Looking down on the carburetor, you'll see a small button that opens the float valve for priming when held down. It should flow gas through there after about 5 seconds. If not, check to see if the tank shut off is open, lever toward the carb. At times, fuel won't flow out to prime, it's only air locked. Tapping the float bowl lightly with a screwdriver handle may work. Best to have enough fuel in the tank though. Make sure the choke is on full. Throttle on handlebar should be about half open. Push the throttle linkage at the carburetor about half open if necessary. It should stay at that point for starting, then close to reduce speed when the governor kicks in. Be ready to flip the choke lever open when it starts.

The only major issue I ever had with the Acme is carbon buildup in the head after a winter layover. When it started, it sounded just like a rod knock. Taking off the head and cleaning the buildup fixed that. Engine carbon is funny, it seems to expand over time with non-use.

You have a dealer in your state, Dailey's Tractors, in Hohenwald. I just found a spare tiller for mine in their used list. Talking to them, they seem to be quite helpful and I'd recommend them for any parts needs.

Ken